Vitamin E & Broccoli

by Michelle Kerns

Get more vitamin E by adding broccoli to a salad made with canola oil dressing.

Over 90 percent of Americans don't get enough vitamin E regularly, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture study released in 2005. Although vitamin E is found in eight different forms, the one known as alpha-tocopherol is the form that the Food and Nutrition Board recommends as essential for health and disease prevention, since alpha-tocopherol is the primary one your body stores and uses. There are two ways for you to obtain vitamin E: dietary supplements and foods that contain the nutrient, like broccoli.

Vitamin E Content of Broccoli

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Database, a 1-cup serving of chopped or diced raw broccoli contains 0.69 mg of vitamin E in the form of alpha-tocopherol. Cooked broccoli provides even more vitamin E per serving: each cup has 2.26 mg. Adult men and women need about 15 mg of vitamin E each day; consuming 1 cup of cooked broccoli provides 15 percent of the daily recommended intake.

Comparison to Other Foods

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's guidelines for categorizing the nutrient content of foods specifies that items containing between 10 to 19 percent of a certain vitamin or mineral can be considered a good source of that nutrient. Along with cooked broccoli, other good sources of vitamin E include a 1-oz. serving of peanuts, 1 cup of beans like white beans, 1 tbsp. of olive oil, 1 cup of cooked asparagus or 1 cup of raw fruit such as mangoes or raspberries. Excellent sources of vitamin E -- foods that contain 20 percent or more of the vitamin per serving -- include spinach, nuts like almonds and hazelnuts, seeds such as sunflower seeds and vitamin-fortified breakfast cereals.

Importance of Vitamin E

Your body needs vitamin E from foods like broccoli in order to aid with the synthesis of red blood cells and to promote the function of vitamin K. Vitamin E is also an antioxidant that can prevent free radical compounds from damaging cell membranes and oxidizing fats, which may lower your risk of cancer and heart disease, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. If your diet doesn't contain enough vitamin E, you may suffer from vision problems, weakness and difficulty with coordination. You may also be more likely to develop diabetes, Alzheimer's disease or heart disease, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Serving Suggestions

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient, meaning that in order to absorb the vitamin, you need to consume it with a source of dietary fat. To get the most vitamin E from broccoli, stir-fry it with other fresh vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, snap peas or bean sprouts in a small amount of a vitamin E-rich oil like safflower, sunflower, canola or olive oil. Mix lightly steamed broccoli into salads tossed with an oil-based dressing, or top a baked potato with cooked broccoli and a sauce prepared with low-fat cheese.

What's your dietary preference?

Gluten Free

Omnivore

Paleo

Vegetarian

Vegan

Which of these foods do you like to eat?

Fruit

Legumes

Meat & Poultry

Fish

Nuts & Seeds

Vegetables

Healthy fats

What kinds of foods would you like to incorporate more in your diet?

Healthy fats

Vegetables

Meat, Poultry & Fish

Grains

Fruits

Which of these fats do you like?

Olive oil

Avocados

Salmon

Olives

Sesame oil

Almonds

Which of these vegetables do you like?

Broccoli

Kale

Carrots

Peppers

Sweet potatoes

Which of these proteins do you like?

Beef

Chicken

Tilapia

Turkey

Eggs

Pork

Which of these grains do you like?

Whole wheat

Brown rice

Oatmeal

Cous Cous

Bulgar

Which of these fruits do you like?

Apples

Bananas

Pears

Kiwis

Oranges

Peaches

Pomegranates

Berries

Which of these foods do you like to eat?

Fish

Nuts

Vegetables

Meat & Poultry

Fruits

These are kinds of fish you can eat on a Paleo diet. Which do you like?

Halibut

Red Snapper

Tilapia

Salmon

These are some nuts you can eat on a Paleo diet. Which do you like?

Almonds

Cashews

Pistacios

Walnuts

These are some vegetables you can eat on a Paleo diet. Which do you like?

Broccoli

Peppers

Kale

Carrots

Lettuce

Cabbage

These are some proteins you can eat on a Paleo diet. Which do you like?

About the Author

Michelle Kerns writes for a variety of print and online publications and specializes in literature and science topics. She has served as a book columnist since 2008 and is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. Kerns studied English literature and neurology at UC Davis.

Photo Credits

Have Feedback?

Thank you for providing feedback to our Editorial staff on this article. Please fill in the following information so we can alert the Healthy Eating editorial team about a factual or typographical error in this story. All Fields are required.